Have you ever had a nagging issue inside your house…

A faucet gushing water out the side... a squeak in the floor whenever you walk past that one spot… a cabinet door that flies off the hinge…

And all you needed was a good handy-person. Someone dependable, who works fast and actually shows up when they say they will.

Well what if that person left a flier on your doorstep that said:

“I fix leaky faucets, squeaky floors, and cabinet doors, and I’m available on Monday?”

Wouldn’t you feel relieved that you didn’t have to search high and low for someone who can solve your problems?

It might even feel like a gift.

That is exactly why you need to be doing outreach.

Even though many creatives say they “don’t like it” because it feels “salesy” or makes you look desperate or “needy.”

(How do you feel about it? Take my LinkedIn poll to see where you stand!)

But here’s the thing.

There are clients out there for you - oodles of them - struggling with problems that you can solve for them.

And if you do your homework, so you know who needs you and how they need you…

Then you can magically arrive “on their doorstep” (in their in-box, LinkedIn messages, or on their phone) ready to offer your help.

This mindset shift — from feeling “needy” when you reach out… to realizing that you come “bearing gifts” — is how I want you to change your thinking.

I waxed a bit poetic about this mindset shift and how to set the right expectations for your outreach in the “Best Bits” from our July Office Hours, here:

What I'm really saying is this:

To solve someone’s problem is to give a gift. Yes, even if they pay you for it!

And if you do your outreach right, you will find clients who actually thank you for reaching out.

The timing won’t be right for everyone, of course. You need to arrive at their time of need.

But that’s why you’ll do it often.

Watch my video, above, then try it and see what happens.